Improvement in horse-powers



UNITED. STATES PATENT Orrron.

TIMOTHY e. PALMER, or SGHULTZVILLE, NEW YORK.

IMPROVEMENT IN HORSE-POWERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 158,806, dated January19,1875; application filed January 11, 1875.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, TIMOTHY G. PALMER, of Schultzville, in the county ofDutchess, State of New York, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Horse-Powers; and I do hereby declare that the followingis a description thereof, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings forming a part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is asectional elevation of a section of a horse-power embodying theimprovements in this invention. Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view ofthe same. Fig. 3 is a plan view of a section of the chain and theduplexwheels or rollers employed in this invention. Fig. 4 is amodification of the above.

My invention relates to that class of horsepowers known as endless-chainpowers; and consists in supporting the chain by two sets of wheels orrollers, revolving on the usual spindles, and operating on or with theusual tracks or ways of the power-machine, the object of this inventionbeing to prevent or obviate the excessive friction attending thereversal of the direction of the revolution of the supportingrollers,and remove the drag attending the reversal of the rollers after theyhave ceased to bear on the track or way and are about to engage withanother track or way to be revolved in an opposite direction.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use myinvention, Iwillproceed to describe it in reference to the drawings and the lettersof reference marked thereon, the same letters indicating the same parts.

In the drawings, A Arepresent the sides of the power-machine. B is theendless chain, made in the usual forms of construction as practiced bythe trade. a a are the links comprising the chain. c c are the spindles,connecting with the said chain and carrying the two sets of wheels, 6 e,which wheels are to support the chain from the ways 0 and 0 In someclasses of powers I would form the spindles with the rods 0 which willalsooperate as pivots for the links of the chain, as is practiced bysome manufacturers. Again, I would have the said spindles carried by thelugs employed by some manufacturers, in cases where the spindles werenot connected with the rods 0 Where the motion of the chain is torevolve a gear-wheel, D, as employed in some powermachines, I would formthe links with cogs, while in those machines employing end drums orreels I would dispense with such cogs.

As endlesschain powers have heretofore been constructed the endlesschains employed have been supported by a single wheel or roller on eachspindle, attached to and carried by the said chain. In this mode ofconstruction the same wheels had to operate with the several tracks orways or guards, where guards are employed, and were reversed alternatelyin their direction of revolution as they passed from one way to another,or from one way to the guard, as the case might be. This reversal of thedirection of the revolving of the wheels beln g continuous from thesuccessive advancement of all the wheels carrying the chain is aconstant source of resistance, which must be overcome before the wheelspassing from one way or track to another can operate in the mannerdesigned, in a reverse direction; and the aggregate resistance offeredby the reversal of allthe wheels or rollers is thus made to be verygreat, and is designed to be wholly obviated by the improvements in thisinvention.

In this invention I'employ what I denomin ate duplex wheels or rollers ee on each spindle c for supporting the several portions of the endlesschain from their ways or tracks 0 and G. The rollers e, designed tocarry the weight of the animal, are set nigh to the links a a and run onthe track 0, while the rollers 6 pass over the depressed portion of thesaid way without contact with the same. The rollers or wheels e,designed to support the lower portion of the chain only, is set outsidethe wheels 6, and run on the track 0 below with the wheels 0 free fromthe said track. The duplex wheels being thus set, and each one workingon its own track or way, will be permitted to revolve in its owndirection without any reversal by a changing of relative positions withthe said tracks, as carried forward in its endless direction of passage,and each roller or wheel 0 is permitted to continue to revolve uncheckedafter its passage from the upper track 0 until it comes to rest, or isagain brought in contact with the said track, while the wheels orrollers e are also permitted to freely revolve after leaving their trackbelow until they come to rest, or are again brought in contact with thesaid lower track.

In powers employing no end drums. or reels for carrying the endlesschain, but only end tracks, the reversals of the supporting-wheels areincreased, and, consequently, the loss of power is also increased. Insuch machines or powers the said duplex wheels operate substantiall ythe same as in case with drum-wheel powers having an upper and lower Wayor track only. The advantage gainedis greater, by reason that the saidreversals, which in the oldconstructed machines were at least fourtimes, are now wholly overcome or obviated by the employment of theduplex wheels before referred to, so that the more rapid changings ofthe said wheels from their contact with the several ways are notpermitted to be in the least a source of loss of power consequent ontheir passage from one track to the other in the endless direction ofthe travel of the said wheels as heretofore.

The advantages attending theimprovements in this invention forpreventing the great loss of power heretofore had in endless-chainpowers, by the constant reversal of the many supporting wheels orrollers in their changes from one track to the other, is apparent, as bythe employment of the two sets of wheels or rollers each wheel or rollerof the set will have its own direction of revolution without any changewhatever;

It is obvious that-extra spindles may he attached to the ends of thelugs or center of the links, extending far enough to receive a set ofwheels or rollers, e, outside of the other set, 0, and in this case butone wheel is required on each spindle to accomplish the same result.

Having described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure byLetters Patent, is-- 1. In endless-chain horse-powers, two set of wheelsor rollers, e 0, operating on each end of spindles or rods for carryingthe endless chain, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

2. Spindles attached to the ends of the lugs or center of thelinks forthe extra set of wheels, as specified.

TIMOTHY G. PALMER.

Witnesses:

OHAs. J. SELKIRK, ALEX. SELKIRK.

